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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27417562">You left me with only your empty promises to remember you by</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anime_weeb/pseuds/Anime_weeb'>Anime_weeb</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2 years age difference, Akabane Karma is a Little Shit, Asano Gakuhou's Bad Parenting, Bisexual Tadaomi Karasuma, Everyone Needs A Hug, Friends With Benefits, Gay Gakuhou Asano, Harvard University, Implied Karma/Gakushuu, Implied Sexual Content, Irina Jelavic gives good advice (for once), M/M, Mostly Tadaomi-centric, No Beta We Die Like Korosensei, Nope it's UNI, Parental Karasuma Tadaomi, Pet Names, Reconciliation, Slow Updates, kind of (not really), slight college au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:14:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27417562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anime_weeb/pseuds/Anime_weeb</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Karasuma and Gakuhou first meet in Harvard university, 2 years apart. When Gakuhou leaves Harvard, Karasuma doesn't know what to do with himself, and tried to forget about the purple-eyed male. Then they meet years later, and wow, he has his own school AND a kid?!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akabane Karma/Asano Gakushuu, Asano Gakuhou/Karasuma Tadaomi, Asano Gakushuu &amp; Karasuma Tadaomi, Irina Jelavić &amp; Karasuma Tadaomi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Bro, I've been wanting to make a Karasuma x Gakuhou fic for soooooo long, so here it is! This hasn't been beta-read yet, so there will probably be some mistakes, but when I have more time I will actually go over it. The updates may be a tad slow because I don't have a computer but not that slow, so don't give up on this story! </p><p>Also, why am i starting another WIP dammit?!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A fateful night filled with reckless teenagers laughing and getting drunk, their worries left behind, shut away in their dorms and apartments, to later be stressed over at a later date. Everyone knew that the more prestigious the school was, the wilder the parties Harvard university was no exception to that fact. That was the first thing Tadaomi first realised when he went to his first university party. He'd much rather be back in his dorm and sleeping, siding (doing anything other than being here) but his friend had practically dragged him there with the excuse of, “How else are meant to meet all of our seniors?”. Tadaomi just no longer had it in him to argue, and so he conceded, which led him to where he was now, tentatively sipping a drink he didn’t know the name of and half-heartedly listening to a conversation about god-knows-what. He scanned the room, eyeing a good-looking male with startling purple eyes and straight brown hair. He was talking with a guy, though he didn’t seem too interested in the conversation with the way his eyes kept on straying away. Not that it was any of <em>his </em>business. </p><p> </p><p>He went back to sipping at his drink, finishing it and putting it down at the coffee table in front of him. Not a moment later a guy he had never seen before had come by and placed a full cup of alcohol in his hands before running towards what seemed to be his friends. Tadaomi stared at the drink in his hand, contemplated his options, before deciding to screw it and begin drinking it.  He stayed like that for a couple minutes more watching people pass him blearily before he felt someone sit next to him. He turned his head and to his surprise, the good-looking guy from before was sitting next to him. He turned to him, a carefree smile on his face as he studied Tadaomi. </p><p> </p><p>“How you liking the party?” He asked, sipping his own concoction. But Tadaomi wasn’t listening, no, he was focusing on the fact that up close he could see the faint freckles lining his nose, and the different shades of purple in his stunning eyes. Sure, his breath smelled like alcohol and he smelt like any sweaty teenager would at a packed party, but he could also make out the wisps of cologne sprayed on himself and the flush on his cheeks looked downright adorable and it made Tadaomi feel all the more attracted to him. It wasn’t like this was a surprise to him, he had come to terms that he was bisexual for a while now, but it never failed to overwhelm him when he did catch a guy he found himself attracted to, seeing as though he was bisexual, he had a preference, a preference towards girls, that was. And this guy? He was doing a fantastic job at leaving him breathless.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s kinda shit.” Tadaomi found himself saying, and he raised an eyebrow when the guy looked shocked.</p><p> </p><p>“Pray tell why you feel that way?” The attractive guy asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, for starters, this music is shit. I mean, who even listens to this anymore?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh… well-” He tried to butt in, but Tadaomi was on a roll now.</p><p> </p><p>“And don’t you think this is an unnecessary amount of people here? You can have a party and not have half the country be there. Also, what’s up with these drinks? I went up there and not a single bottle of vodka. How can you have a party and not bring <em>vodka? </em>That’s one of the most <em>basic </em>party drinks to bring! And don’t even get me started on the food. Oh wait, that’s right, there is no food! Now, I may have not gone to many university parties but I know for sure that this one is the shittiest out of all of them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow… I’m… I’m sorry you feel that way.” The guy muttered into his drink.</p><p> </p><p>“Why? It’s not like you hosted this party- Oh my god I am so sorry.” Tadaomi felt his cheeks burn as he put two and two together. “Seriously, I’m just drunk, this party is great and-”</p><p> </p><p>“No no, it’s quite alright, this is my first time hosting a party so I can’t expect everything to go right.” He smiled warmly.</p><p> </p><p>“Still makes me feel like an ass.” Tadaomi muttered. He only laughed happily before eyeing the drink in Tadaomi’s hands.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t suppose you know what that is?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was hoping you could tell me.”</p><p> </p><p>He looked up from his drink, only to find purple orbs staring him down calculating him, prompting him to level the male back with a stare of his own. He smiled into his red solo cup before looking down at the ground, almost bashfully. “So, you’re a freshman?” </p><p> </p><p>“Is it that obvious?”</p><p> </p><p>“A little… How would you like a tour?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Tadaomi woke up with a start, his gasping breath and the slow breathing of another slowly filling his ears until it was the only thing he could hear. He willed himself to calm down, to think rationally; where was he? He looked around the room curiously before freezing when he felt movement next to him. He slowly turned his head and, sure enough, another body lay peacefully next to him. It was only then that he noticed his lack of clothes and the <em>used condom on the floor-</em></p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi’s head was spinning, yet he didn't know if it was because of the pounding in his head from the alcohol last night or whatever he did (though he had a good idea what) after the drinking. He placed his hand on his head in a futile attempt at some kind of memory of the night before, anything, but he came up blank. In the end, he just decided to leave while he had the chance, picking up his clothes that were strewn on the ground and his phone that had a new crack in it. Before he left the room, though, he couldn’t help but let his curiosity take over him as he eyed a mop of brown hair peeking out from underneath the covers. He stalked over to the bed, lifted up the covers and <em>holy shit you’ve got to be kidding me!</em></p><p> </p><p>The guy who he had a brief conversation with about the party and whatever else was sleeping soundly, just as naked as Tadaomi once was and an alarming number of bruises decorating his neck and going down. Tadaomi didn't give himself the luxury to stop and think about it, deciding to book it out of there in record time.</p><p> </p><p>When he had gotten home, his roommate, the very friend who forced him into going to said party, was nowhere to be found. So, Tadaomi gulped down some water and aspirin, before conking out on his bed again.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Who was he? Tadaomi was <em>dying </em>to know who the guy he had slept with was. Yes, that’s right, <em>slept with. </em>When he had woken back up, pounding headache noticeably mellower and more bearable, his memory decided to ambush him with images and surround sound hearing of his romp in the sheets the night prior. </p><p> </p><p>Wandering hands, desperate to feel and stuttered moans as they kissed and felt and smelled and fucked-</p><p> </p><p>Needless to say, Tadaomi wanted to know more, because as much as he didn’t want to admit it, the guy was the best fuck he’s ever had. And maybe, he kind of enjoyed the short but sweet conversation they had and maybe he was craving to get a glimpse of those wondrous purple eyes again. Maybe he had a crush, or a slight obsession with the male, but who could blame him? He was stunning, a face you could never forget.</p><p> </p><p>Which is why he was so easy to identify when Tadaomi looked up the seniors on the school’s computer, his face popping up and lighting a fire in Tadaomi’s heart. He was in the highest set for <em>everything, </em>also working his way up to valedictorian, captain of the football team and the main helper for community service. And his name… wasn’t even listed?! He was known under his damn initials, G.A. Tadaomi groaned in frustration, how hard would it be to find someone so obviously popular?</p><p> </p><p>Not as hard as he initially thought, it seemed, as <em>everyone </em>knew who he was. He asked the first person he saw, a girl with dyed green hair and icy blue eyes if she knew a guy about this tall, purple eyes and brown hair and she answered almost immediately.</p><p> </p><p>“You mean Gakuhou? Are you one of the students he’s tutoring? He’d be in the library about now.” She smiled before walking away. Next destination: Library.</p><p> </p><p>Sure enough, there he was in all of his handsome glory, those riveting purple eyes skimming a book as he slowly sipped what seemed to be coffee. Tadaomi took a deep breath and began hyping himself up to go talk to him, which he thought was absurd because he had never paid anyone this kind of attention before and how was this guy any different but then those purple eyes shifted up and caught him staring and he had to do <em>something </em>so he waved and watched as Gakuhou (yay, he knew his name now) waved him over with a lazy smile of his own.</p><p> </p><p>He made his way towards him, making sure to pick up a random book on his way to make it look like he went to the library to actually read and not look like a fool before sitting down at his table.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey stranger!” Gakuhou smiled at him, placing his coffee and book down in favour of looking at Tadaomi. “And when I say stranger I mean literal stranger because I don’t even know your name.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know yours.” Tadaomi blurted out.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, aren’t you a little stalker.” Gakuhou chucked, making Tadaomi’s face burn with embarrassment. “Though I don’t blame you,” Gakuhou muttered, picking his coffee back up again to take another sip, “I’d want to know the name of the person I slept with too.”</p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi choked on air as Gakuhou smirked at him cheekily. “T-Tadaomi Karasuma.” He said, because that was the only thing he could say without blowing up from how red he was. </p><p> </p><p>“Gakuhou Asano, I kind of guessed but, you’re Japanese, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, born and raised.”</p><p> </p><p>“Same.” Tadaomi looked up in surprise. Sure, he had some Japanese features but he’s never guessed he was from Japan too.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m half Japanese, my father was American and my mother Japanese.” He said, finishing up his coffee.</p><p> </p><p>“I see.” Tadaomi muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Gakuhou looked down at the book that was in Tadaomi’s hands before smiling up at him. “Look, I’m not one to beat around the bush, so how about we get straight to the point.” Tadaomi looked up hesitantly, “I like you, and I know you like me too seeing as you came to the library all to see me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What? No-”<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“So, you came here to study triple calculus? But you don’t take triple calculus.”</p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi looked down at his book to see that he indeed picked up a calculus book, but that wasn’t what caught his attention.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, how did you know-”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not the only stalker around here.” He winked, making Tadaomi’s heart flutter in all the wrong ways.</p><p> </p><p>“So,” Gakuhou started again, “How about we try this out?”</p><p>“You want to date?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, not date, I don’t date. I’m talking about something more… casual.”</p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi felt sick; this wasn’t what he wanted, “So like, friends with benefits?”<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Exactly like that.”</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to be friends then maybe date later down the road, not whatever this was, but he wasn’t willing to let him go just yet and he <em>did </em>want to spend another night with him, preferably when he was sober and could remember every detail of body. That, in the end, is what prompted Tadaomi to say,</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>And so, it started. They fucked everywhere, in their dorms, in classrooms, storage closets, in public, and Tadaomi was having <em>fun. </em>He loved having Gakuhou so close to him, hearing and feeling things only he’ll be able to hear and feel. Knowing that no one else had him like he had him. Gakuhou, this strong-willed, confident man, reduced to a beautiful whimpering mess, and it was because of <em>him. </em>He was certain no one else could make him feel the way he made him feel, and his thoughts were confirmed when Gakuhou told him so.</p><p> </p><p>But Tadaomi craved <em>more. </em>He wanted to be able to call him his boyfriend and flaunt him to his friends, because although they were close, nobody knew about their relationship. And although it was fun and exciting at first, he wanted to finally call Gakuhou fully <em>his. </em>But for now, he was content with just having him in his arms, whispering secrets into his ears and stroking his hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Was I too rough today?” Tadaomi whispered into Gakuhou’s hair, damp from sweat.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I liked it.” Gakuhou panted into his neck, sucking another hickey just below his ear.</p><p> </p><p>They lay in silence, relishing in the other’s breathing and the smell of sex still in the air.  </p><p> </p><p>“We should probably clean up before my roommate comes back.” Gakuhou muttered, lifting himself up and cringing at the dried fluids on his body. Tadaomi let out a small whine at the loss of warmth, making Gakuhou chuckle fondly and push a hand through his dark strands. “Come on, you needy puppy, let’s get washed up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Only if we have a shower together.”</p><p> </p><p>“We both know if we have a shower together we’d just go for another round.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that so bad?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a class in 20 minutes.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be quick.”</p><p> </p><p>“We both know we’re anything but quick.” Gakuhou giggled softly and Tadaomi nearly passed out then and there because Gakuhou <em>giggled </em>and if that wasn’t the purest sound on earth he didn’t know what was. He leant down, pecking Tadaomi on the lips before standing up, immediately regretting his decision when his back and ass groaned in protest.</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh, fuck me in the ass.” Gakuhou groaned in pain.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I’m trying to do!” Tadaomi laughed, making Gakuhou swat uselessly at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on then,” Gakuhou walked towards the bathroom, swaying his hips in the way he knew Tadaomi loved, “I’m ahead of that class anyway.” He smirked.</p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi wasted no time getting up, making Gakuhou let out another laugh. Yeah, he was content for now.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When Gakuhou had first seen Tadaomi, he thought he was cute, but that was about it. Then he went and talked to him, listened to him insult him and then go on to talk about aimless things while giving him a tour of the house he had his party in. Next thing he knew, he was waking up alone, naked and a used condom on the floor. He knew <em>exactly </em>who he slept with.</p><p> </p><p>He asked around for him, but he was still a freshman, so nobody knew who he was. So, he asked some teachers, found out his name and what classes he took. He stopped his search there, because although the guy was amazing in bed and super cute, Gakuhou didn’t have time for a relationship. They just… weren't his thing. But then he met him in the library, the poor kid obviously there for him but trying to hide it, and he became intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>He asked him his name (although he already knew it) and was pleased to find that he wasn't the only one with a tendency to secretly find out about someone. Then he looked at him, as in really looked at him, and that's when it hit him. This guy was cute as hell and it would be a real shame to let him go, but he didn't want a relationship. But who’s to say he needed to be in a relationship to have good sex? So, he popped the question and to his delight, he said yes.</p><p> </p><p>They spent considerable time together, so much so that if Gakuhou was a regular person, his grades would be dropping. But he wasn’t some regular person so his grades stayed the same. At first, Tadaomi was just another guy that Gakuhou used for his own pleasure, nothing more and nothing else. But before he knew it, he began growing fond of him. Starting noticing little things about him that always surprised him. Knowing all of the spots that made him laugh, moan out in ecstasy and make awkward faces at. He began craving those little things, anticipating his visits and their rounds in secret. But that’s all it was, a secret. A dirty little secret that no one but him and Tadaomi knew about.</p><p> </p><p> He was content. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“I love you.” Tadaomi had blurted out during a quick round in the storage closet next to the senior classrooms, making both of them stop abruptly. Gakuhou stared up at Tadaomi who had his eyes screwed shut in regret. </p><p> </p><p>Nobody said anything for a while before Gakuhou became acutely aware of just how much time they had left and started grinding down on Tadaomi, who in turn got the hint and started pounding in again. The unspoken words left on his lips and the feeling of regret lingering in the air.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You’re leaving?” Tadaomi whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on Suma, you knew this was coming. We met when you were fresh out of college and I had just turned into a senior. I was always going to leave before you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but I didn’t realise you were going all the way back to <em>Japan. </em>That’s so far away!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, but it’s where I want my dream to start.” Gakuhou stroked his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“But what about me? You’re leaving me behind.” Tadaomi whispered, so small and so broken that Gakuhou didn’t know what to do with himself.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll still be here when you graduate, it’s not like I’m dying. I’ll still be the same person 2 years later.” He tried to put on an encouraging smile even though he felt empty inside. He hated to admit it, but leaving Tadaomi was hurting him just as much as the other male felt. He wanted to stay; he really did! But if he wanted to achieve his dream he had to go back.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t, and you won’t! Nobody will be the same 2 years from now! Please Gakuhou, please… don’t leave me.” </p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi knew he was being unfair and needy, Gakuhou had a dream he wanted to pursue and here we were stopping him from doing so. It wasn’t like they were dating or anything, so why did the thought of not seeing him next year hurt so much? Why did the thought of no seeing those purple eyes make his stomach flip and make bile rise in his throat? It wasn’t even about the sex anymore, he just wanted to be with <em>him. </em></p><p> </p><p>And Tadaomi knew that it wasn’t Gakuhou’s fault, yet he couldn’t help but feel betrayed and angry. Why couldn’t he pursue his dream here? And he told him exactly that.</p><p> </p><p>“All you wanna be is a stupid teacher anyway, why do you need to move to another country to do that?!” </p><p> </p><p>And that had struck something in Gakuhou, as those words reminded him of what his parents had said to him 3 years ago and helped open new and old wounds. So, he lashed out, and said the one thing he kept a secret this whole time.</p><p> </p><p>“I have to go back because I’m getting married!”</p><p> </p><p>Silence.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Tadaomi whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m getting married. To… a woman.” Gakuhou sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“A woman? Don’t give me that bull Gakuhou, you’re as gay as they come!”</p><p> </p><p>“You think I want to get married?! I don’t! But I have to, so I can make my parents happy. If I at least do this then they’ll get off my back for wanting to become a teacher and not some multi-millionaire company owner. I’m sorry you feel so hurt, Tadaomi, but this is my life we’re talking about! My life is in Japan.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, your life is here, in America… with me.” Tadaomi touched Gakuhou’s cheek gently.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry.” Gakuhou whispered, tugging Tadaomi’s hand off of his cheek and walking out of the door of his dorm room. He left, leaving Tadaomi with close to nothing.</p><p> </p><p>When Tadaomi went back to his dorm, he cried himself to sleep, thinking about striking purple eyes that he’ll probably never see again. His brief love that he poured heart and soul into, gone in a blink of an eye. So, as the tears poured out in unstoppable waterfalls, he hoped, with all his heart, that he’d be able to see those eyes again, in the near future.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tadaomi sees Gakuhou again after 7 years; Old feelings resurface.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tadaomi didn’t think he had changed much, maybe apart from bulking up and cutting his hair? Though if you asked anyone else, they’d tell you he was a different person. Gone was the bashful teenager, replaced with a mature, goddamn <em> fine ass </em>man. </p><p> </p><p>After Gakuhou, Tadaomi was, understandably, heartbroken. The one person he thought he had a connection to was… gone, just like that. Gakuhou had been the only one; he couldn’t bring himself to try anything new, not to mention no one else seemed to catch his eye anymore. So, he decided to forget about him, studying to become a geologist. He had a fascination with the different cultures, food and countries around the world and he couldn't help but want to dive deeper into that.</p><p> </p><p>Then, his life took a very unexpected turn when he witnessed a terrorist attack, an attack that would forever scar him and cause him to lose the light of his life, his younger sister. He still had the nightmares, the screams of his sister ringing in his ears as he woke up in cold sweats. It was that event that made him drop his studies and join the military, serving a good 6 years before becoming a flight instructor. </p><p> </p><p>At the same time, he got to visit new countries and meet new cultures and people, and his geologist side couldn’t help but get excited. He had just left India when he decided to come back to Japan to teach the newcomers. </p><p> </p><p>Though his love life was pretty much non-existent, he was happy… partially. He had a stable job, a few friends here and there that he trusted with his life and no major problems he knew about. Then, one morning while he was having his usual coffee, he decided to pick up a newspaper, because why not. Look at him, being spontaneous, now his friends <em> had </em>to stop calling him boring!</p><p> </p><p>He scanned it, completely uninterested before something caught his eyes - Purple eyes. He did a double take before confirming that yes, those were <em> his </em>purple eyes (while also blushing slightly at saying they were his). He read the bold letters of the subsection after the Kunugigaoka news and read: ‘KUNUGIGAOKA JUNIOR AND HIGH SCHOOL CONFIRMED TO HAVE HIGHEST EXAM RESULTS IN THE WHOLE PREFECTURE’ and there, smack dab in the middle of the page was-</p><p> </p><p>Tadaomi slammed down the paper, drained his drink and grabbed his keys to leave for work. He hadn’t planned on ever seeing Gakuhou again, not after saying he was engaged and leaving him behind, so why was he seeing him now? Though he had slammed down the newspaper, he still got a good glimpse of the male and had confirmed that yes, he was still as attractive as ever and yes, his eyes still captivated him to this day.</p><p> </p><p>When he finally made it to work, he made silly mistakes left and right, to the point his boss had to pull him aside.</p><p> </p><p>“You sure you’re OK, Karasuma?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I assure you, I’m perfectly OK… just distracted.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you say so... anyway, I have a new assignment for you.” She handed him a manilla folder, which wasn’t very thick at all. When he opened it up, a blurry picture of a… was that a yellow octopus? Stares right back at him. He looked up at his boss in question.</p><p> </p><p>“Allow me to explain…”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>What were the chances? Of <em> all the schools, </em> they just <em> had </em> to pick that <em> one?!” </em> <em> <br/><br/></em></p><p>Was this a cruel streak of luck? Or was fate deciding to be a fickle bitch? Either way, he had been given his assignment and he needed to carry it through. Even if it meant seeing him again. <em>'</em><em>Maybe he won’t remember me?'</em>, Yeah, he didn’t believe himself either. He started in two days, so he went out to get a haircut, may as well look his best, right?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>A mixture of emotions ran through him at once as he stood before a desk in an unnecessarily dark room, awaiting with his co-worker the arrival of the principal, Gakuhou. He fidgeted, which really wasn’t like him, but he couldn’t help himself, he was going to see Gakuhou again! God, he felt like a teenager all over again, all giddy and shit. He was an adult, he should have better control of himself! So, with that in mind, he fixed his tie while willing his cheeks to calm down and his dick-</p><p> </p><p>The door unlocked and it was the smell that hit him before anything else. The smell… he remembered it from somewhere. He contemplated about it for a while before his mind provided him with an answer; Gakuhou was wearing the same cologne from <em> 7 years ago- </em></p><p> </p><p>“Sorry about the wait, I was in a meeting with some especially incompetent…” He trailed off as he stared at Tadaomi, who in turn stared back with (fake) boredom and professionalism. “So it really was you.” He whispered underneath his breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me?” His co-worker asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Gakuhou quickly cleared his throat, stacking some papers together to look busy, “Ah yes,  the new 3-E teachers I presume?”</p><p> </p><p>“Actually, only I will be teaching the children.” Tadaomi managed to speak up.</p><p> </p><p>“I see.” Gakuhou’s eyes lingered a little longer before turning back to his papers until his co-worker came forward with the terms and conditions of the agreement and gave him a pen to sign his silence. Tadaomi took this time to observe him.</p><p> </p><p>He had definitely matured, that’s for sure, with the way his jawline had defined deliciously and his hair slicked back neatly. And those <em> eyes. </em> Tadaomi couldn’t stress enough about the eyes! They were like purple gems, hidden deep between layers of shine. But then, Tadaomi looked deeper and saw that, maybe, there were some major things that had changed. Like the way he never wore his carefree smile, seemingly replaced by a permanent frown. And the eyes, the eyes he loved so much, had lost something to them. He didn’t know <em> what </em>, but he knew there was something missing. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though, as he had finished signing the papers and it was time for him to meet his new class with the… octopus. That he really, really didn’t like, by the way.</p><p> </p><p>He followed his co-worker up the mountain, the octopus not far behind. He scowled when he saw the small and partially rundown building at the top of the mountain. This is where the 3-E children spent their time? He had heard that they were slightly mistreated but… wasn’t this going a bit too far? It seemed his co-worker was thinking the same thing, but either she didn’t care or decided not to comment on it. So he did the same.</p><p> </p><p>To sum it up, introductions were… interesting, to say the least. The kids looked… dead inside, for lack of a better phrase. But they instantly brightened up at the prospect of winning money by killing their superhuman teacher, worrying over the end of the world for a short period of time before seemingly brushing it aside. What weird kids. </p><p> </p><p>Then there was also the thing about the suspended student that his coworker was going to go meet and brief before he joined the class. He wondered on a scale of one to ten how much of a problem he’d be and how much of annoyance the class as a whole would be. He could already identify some personalities, for example, the blue-haired… girl?... was obviously the shy type, while the blonde haired girl in the middle was more the outspoken type. The bulky guy at the back, bully, with two others obviously his lackeys. The girl further up with black hair looked demonic and the silver haired guy hadn’t looked up from his sketchbook since the octopus made his appearance. This was obviously a special class, one that was isolated and ridiculed, something he came to learn the more he delved into the purpose of this particular class. Needless to say, he was fuming. How could Gakuhou do something like this? They were only children; how dare he isolate them like this!</p><p> </p><p>He had half a mind to march right back down that mountain and personally shout at the principal but was still recovering from seeing him again and doubted he could see him so quickly again. A conversation for later then, he decided.</p><p> </p><p>From there, he left the class in the octopus’s hands, deciding to go home and research more about the school (and Gakuhou).</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yanagisawa labs and 3-E’s former teacher, Ms Yukimura… how were they connected? He found his answer when he saw that Shiro Yanagisawa and Aguri Yukimura were married. Weird how despite that, she had kept her maiden name. He also found out she was a part time worker at the lab as well as 3-E teacher. So he searched up Yanagisawa labs, only to come to the discovery that it had been destroyed when an experiment went wrong. At least, that’s what the press said, but Tadaomi had a feeling it was more than that. From there he connected the dots and came to the conclusion that Ms Yukimura died in the accident, along with her husband. Or maybe the husband was still alive? He’d go to the graveyard that Aguri was buried and look for her husband’s grave to demolish any lingering doubts about the man’s whereabouts.</p><p> </p><p>The next day he did exactly that, after looking at a text on his phone from his co-worker confirming that the briefing with the suspended student went well. He sighed in relief before stopping outside the gates of the graveyard. He scoured the graves before stopping when he saw a familiar green-haired girl crouched down in front of the exact grave he was looking for. <em> ‘Kaede Kayano’ </em> his mind helpfully provided for him. He hid behind a tree, watching as she stroked the grey stone before lying down fresh, white roses and picking up the ones previously there that had begun to wither from age. She pressed a kiss to her fingers before laying the fingers at the top of the grave before standing up and walking to the exit; his direction.</p><p> </p><p>She stopped right in front of his tree, making him take in an involuntary intake of breath. He watched her narrow her eyes before walking off, making him let go of the breath he was holding. Once he was sure she was gone, he went to inspect the grave as a million questions ran through his head all at once. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Why was she there?’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Did she know Yukimura?’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Are they related somehow?’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Could she be a clue as to the husband's whereabouts?’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, his gut telling him that this man was important somehow. He just hoped his gut was right.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“I will be taking over as your PE teacher. I will be teaching you hand-to-hand combat and defence.” Tadaomi said as he faced the class. He had managed to learn some names while he was there and some more personalities, like how he found out Hazama was the demonic one and Kurahashi was the one who had a slightly weird obsession with different kinds of bugs. Not to mention she kept on looking at him weirdly, which creeped him out a tad bit.</p><p> </p><p>(He also had the luxury of meeting Akabane, the redheaded delinquent and former suspended student. He was quiet in class, most of the time, and he rarely saw him in PE seeing as he had a tendency to bunk around that time. At least he hadn’t given him any problems… yet.</p><p> </p><p>The blue haired <em> boy </em>was another thing too. Tadaomi sensed something in him, something dangerous and terrifying that he just couldn’t put his finger on. Unlike Akabane who you knew was dangerous upon first glance, Shiota was more of the subtle type, more assassin type. He was sure none of the students had been prior trained to be assassins or anything close to it, so how did he know how to conceal his presence so carefully? It was concerning, to say the least, but for now he put it out of his mind and focused on the task at hand; Train these kids to become assassins before the world and everything he knew, including Gakuhou, blew up.)</p><p> </p><p>Some cheers and relieved sighs went around the room at his statement, making him raise an eyebrow, though he assumed that a superhuman teacher wouldn't be the best PE teacher. He would probably set the standards <em> way </em> too high.</p><p> </p><p>Chatter broke out in the classroom, not disturbing Tadaomi in the slightest seeing as he was used to a classroom environment, granted it was so he could teach soldiers how to fly planes and not teach them how to become assassins. That was, until he picked up on a name.</p><p> </p><p>“Asano? Who’s Asano?” He asked when he heard the name bounce around the classroom. Surely they couldn’t be talking about Gakuhou, right? And surely they would call him Principal and not by his name.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, Gakushuu Asano.” Nagisa said.</p><p> </p><p>OK, so not Gakuhou. Another student with the same name, perhaps?</p><p> </p><p>“Is he another person joining the class?” Tadaomi asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No, thank god.” Nakamura commented.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s in A class, in the main campus and student council president.” Isogai said.</p><p> </p><p>“And he’s a sanctimonious asshole.” Kayano muttered bitterly.</p><p> </p><p>Ah, so a class rival? Seemed easy enough to deal with-</p><p> </p><p>“Not to mention the principal’s only son.”</p><p> </p><p>...Huh?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Irina joins the fray and is smarter than she looks. Tadaomi also meets the lovely student council president and has mixed feelings about the male. Plans are made between Tadaomi and Gakuhou to catch up.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow, this took a while to come out, didn't it? I just moved house and have no internet so I couldn't update even if I wanted to. I'm draining my brother's hotspot as we speak (write/read?) so got to make the most of it!</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Gakushuu Asano had strawberry-blonde hair, a cunning smile (just like his father’s) and purple. Fucking. Eyes. Tadaomi couldn't take it. Why was the world punishing him? As if one set of purple eyes weren’t enough!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time he caught a glimpse of the student council president was during an assembly, his first as class E’s official teacher. He caught on to him immediately, seeing as Gakuhsuu was one of those people you couldn’t help acknowledging; couldn’t help but pour all your attention to and hang off every word he said. Just like his father. God, he was so much like Gakuhou; from the way he spoke, to the way he walked and acted. Though… there was something noticeably different about the two but, once again, he couldn’t place his finger on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he did notice, however, was the fact that Gakushuu was very much </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gakuhou’s child, </span>
  </em>
  <span>meaning that he must have been with a woman at some point, and hadn’t used it as an excuse to get rid of him (as he had feared many times). Sure, it still hurt that he was basically Gakuhou’s “mistress” during their time together, he was just glad Gakuhou really </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have a valid reason for leaving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again, Tadaomi found himself in the principal’s office, only this time he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The day couldn’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>any worse. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Oh wait, it could. And that came in the shape of Gakushuu Asano coming in to talk about… something. Tadaomi didn’t know, he was too busy comparing the purple of both their eyes and wondering who’s is brighter (It’s Gakushuu, though Tadaomi is sure it’s because of the horrible lighting in the room, seeing as Gakuhou would always have the brightest eyes in his totally unbiased opinion). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of a throat being cleared intercepted his thoughts, making him turn to the president, who in turn was looking at him a tad bit weirdly. And Gakuhou looked the most awkward and slightly uncomfortable than he had ever seen him. Oh, right, that was because he was staring at Gakuhou so intensely that his son noticed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was staring at Gakuhou… so much so his son noticed-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi was done. He quickly excused himself and swiftly left the office. To be caught staring like that, Gakushuu must think he’s some kind of weirdo! Then Tadaomi took a step back and really thought about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Since when did he care about what other people thought about him, unless it was the opinions of his superiors? Especially 15 year olds who obviously had some sort of superiority complex with the way he had stared him down like he was a hobo on the street when they first glanced at each other. Or maybe that was the effect of having Gakuhou as a father; he always was confident and did have that air of ‘I’m-better-than-you-in-every-way’ surrounding him (now more than ever). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, he decided to forget all about the Asano’s; he had a duty to fulfill and couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. A year was such little time to kill an antimatter monster so he’d have to focus his undivided attention on the situation at hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And not on Gakuhou’s splendid purple eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, Tadaomi wasn’t fully gay, he could still feel attracted to woman. It’s just, over time, he’d lost interest in both genders unless they were Gakuhou. Did that make him asexual? No, because he had plenty dreams of Gakuhou underneath him, a panting, whimpering mess. When he watched porn (something his roommate had recommended was a good thing to get your mind off past exes), all he did was imagine the woman/man as Gakuhou. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Gakuhou, Gakuhou, Gakuhou. Nothing else seemed to capture his attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he met Irina. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Irina was stunning in all the right ways; baby blue eyes like oceans, wavy, blonde hair like drops of sun, perfect, pink lips that shone with lip gloss. Not to mention she had the attributes to make any man (or woman) swoon. Did she catch Tadaomi’s attention? Yes, he admits that she did. Does that mean he wanted to pursue something with her? No, especially with Gakuhou so near.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was pretty, sure, but to Tadaomi, that’s all she was. At least Gakuhou had other redeeming qualities, like how smart he was and how he could hold a conversation with just about anything. He had hobbies that were relatable and to top it all off, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Irina, though, after dropping her facade turned into a real… bitch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She would whine and kick and stab and whine some more and flirt. God, did she flirt a lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi was dense; he knew that. But even he could pick up on some signs of her affection towards him. He just casually dismissed it as her being, well, her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He honestly thought she was weak. Now that her act had been exposed, could she really aid in the destruction of the octopus? At this point, she just seemed like a liability.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then her mentor, Lobov, came to visit, she “won” against their little bet and he started to see that maybe she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have something in her that was useful. He just didn’t know what, until she dropped the question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you gay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi choked on his water as he looked up incredulously at the blonde in front of him. “Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You heard me, own up.” Irina rolled her eyes as if she had asked him what his favourite ice cream was and not his sexuality, something he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>private about.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe that is none of your business, Irina.” He said before promptly going back to his work. Irina stared at him a little before plopping down on the corner of his desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable for anything, I just wanna know.” She shrugged as if it were the easiest thing in the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re failing because I do feel really uncomfortable.” Tadaomi sighed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t judge! I just want to know!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you so interested?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why wouldn’t I be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi stared at Irina before sighing in defeat. He knew once the woman set her mind to something, she’d stop at nothing to get it, and in that aspect, she was similar to Gakuhou. Besides, what exactly could she do with the information? Tell the octopus who would then tell the class, but after that, who else was there to tell? Though the thought of the octopus and the class knowing his sexuality didn’t exactly sit right with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t tell anyone, not even the damn octopus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would I?” She asked innocently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hesitated a bit, thinking whether this was a good idea and whether he should tell Irina, before resigning to his fate. “I’m bisexual.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But with a preference towards men?” She imputed (not) helpfully. He only nodded. He picked up his water to take a couple more sips, his throat becoming dry as he waited for her reaction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A high-pitched squeal erupted from the woman’s throat before she siddled closer to the male. “Perhaps a preference to our boss?~” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi really needed to stop drinking water in Irina’s presence, because he was wasting a lot of water as he spat it out. “What gave you that idea?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know, just the way you look at him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And how do I look at him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like you want to jump the poor man.” Tadaomi choked (on air this time, mind you).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I don’t-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh honey, it’s fine, you should see the way he looks at </span>
  <em>
    <span>you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He isn’t any better himself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How does he look at me?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like he wants you to pound him into oblivion.” If Tadaomi died, he’d be haunting Irina’s ass for </span>
  <em>
    <span>decades. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“You know, at first I thought you would be the bottom, but I’ll be honest with you, I was getting mega power bottom vibes from Asano and I thought, It could work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi was done; finished. Irina had won the battle of wills, because he couldn’t hold on any longer. He exited the faculty room with his ears tinted pink and Irina’s unforgiving cackle ringing in his ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tadaomi!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, he wasn’t doing this. He wasn’t going to turn around, he was just going to pretend he didn’t hear his name. He turned around. He was weak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakuhou was seen stepping out of his car, his hair slicked back and purple eyes bright, and jogged over to where Tadaomi was standing. He stopped in front of him, and they both stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. At least, it was uncomfortable for Tadaomi, he never could get an easy reading on Gakuhou.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve changed.” Gakuhou breathed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s what tends to happen after 7 years.” Tadaomi muttered sarcastically. Gakuhou looked hurt for a split second before his face formed back into that uncaring mask he seemed to carry with him everywhere he went.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we get coffee? After school hours, just so we can catch up?” Gakuhou asked, uncharacteristically quiet, as if expecting rejection. And Tadaomi was going to reject him, just like he had rejected him all those years ago. But apparently he was still smitten with the man because he had no problem agreeing. And if his heart fluttered when he saw the small smile Gakuhou gave him when he agreed then nobody had to know that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They parted ways, one going up the mountain and the other to the main campus. They parted ways, yet they both had the same thought plaguing their minds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I’m so glad I got to see him again’ </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally, they spoke! Next chapter includes some fluff (and hopefully angst), so be prepared!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The awaited reunion. Gakushuu begins to suspect something (smart boi). Irina gives some more advice while also giving Karasuma a headache. Multitasking.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ugh, just FUCK ALREADY!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They both met at a small cafe a ways away from the school, as to not get caught from any lingering students. They ordered their drinks in silence and continued said silence as they both waited. Small talk never was either of their forte’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look good, age has done you well.” Gakuhou finally spoke up, taking small sips of his beverage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Likewise.” Tadaomi hummed in agreement. Both male’s had no idea what to say, it had been 7 long years filled with supposed unrequited love and thoughts filled with the other, and god, Tadaomi had played out how this would go so many times, played out what he would say, yet all words seem to die on his tongue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had so many questions, so many thoughts, yet he didn’t quite like the idea of pouring his heart out to Gakuhou, not like this, at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You probably have a lot of questions, and I am willing to answer them.” Gakuhou said, looking up at Tadaomi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OK… How have you been?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearly Gakuhou wasn’t expecting that, if the way his eyes widened was any indication. He probably expected screaming, a lot of shouting, maybe even a slap, but Tadaomi wasn’t the same person he was 7 years ago; he had grown.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, thank you… you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Could have been better,” Tadaomi shrugged, “So… you got married?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes…” Gakuhou trailed off unsure. Tadaomi raised an eyebrow in question, making Gakuhou sigh as if tht was a question he was often asked, “My </span>
  <em>
    <span>former </span>
  </em>
  <span>wife is not here anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, that was news to Tadaomi, “I’m sorry about your loss.” He muttered but he really wasn’t sorry at all, and he knew Gakuhou knew that but decided not to comment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, she isn’t dead… I think. She walked out on Gakushuu and I years ago.” And oh that was like a slap in the face. Why would she walk out on Gakuhou, when he was literally the best thing in this world? How could she bare to </span>
  <em>
    <span>willingly </span>
  </em>
  <span>give up those riveting purple eyes?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see, speaking of Gakushuu… You had a son…” Not a question, a statement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I did.” Was all he got as a response. Tadaomi chose not to press on that subject, immediately picking up that it was a touchy subject. Or maybe the subject of his wife was the touchy subject and his son had nothing to do with it, he just didn’t want to talk about family in front of Tadaomi which, ok, he got, but still-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… A government official?” Gakuhou prompted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tadaomi answered why he became an air instructor instead of a geologist, before they settled into more comfortable topics like politics and business. To others, it looked like two boring men having a debate about a boring ass subject like politics, but to them, it was a battle fueled with facts and passion, and though neither of them said it, it was clear. They had missed each other; Had missed </span>
  <em>
    <span>this. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both fell into such a comfortable manner in front of each other, as if they were Harvard students again, indulging in each other as they did before. It was almost scary how quickly they forgot about the other’s circumstances, instead opting to focus on the there and now. It was refreshing, talking to Gakuhou like a friend and not a boss and it was relieving to talk to Tadaomi like a friend and not like an employee. It went both ways, really.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to come home with me? For dinner?” Gakuhou asked and just like that, the comfortable environment shattered. Tadaomi froze and Gakuhou noticed and tensed up in anticipation. He had realised what he had done; the mistake he had made. It was like he had crossed some kind of line, an invisible barrier separating the two from being how they were before. Inviting him around… Tadaomi wanted to laugh. What, so he could see the perfect life he had set up with himself? The perfect life he had with his high-achieving son and stable job and rich house? The perfect life… that he wasn’t a part of?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have to respectfully decline, I have a lesson to plan out for tomorrow.” Tadaomi said, even though his heart was screaming at him to go with the man. But he always did have a tendency to listen more to his brain than his heart, which was telling him to reject him before it was too late.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The disappointment was evident on Gakuhou’s face and Tadaomi couldn’t help but think this was the most emotion he had seen from the man since meeting him again. He could tell something had happened to Gakuhou to make him change so much, yet he didn’t think it was his wife leaving him. It went deeper than that, but Tadaomi didn’t have the heart to ask, in fear of opening new wounds. Now wasn’t the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They parted ways after that, unspoken words lingering in the air, yet neither confident enough to speak them. They weren’t close enough for that yet, the invisible barrier stopping them from saying the words they wanted, and maybe that barrier was always going to be there, no matter. Too much time had passed, too many things had happened. Maybe they weren’t as compatible as they once thought they were.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the clear difference, they continued to meet up, but never going further than coffee in a random cafe. Houses were off limits and they obviously couldn’t meet up in school, so they resigned themselves to the weekend. Before long, the meet ups became more frequent and they talked more and more about things in their personal life and not useless, random topics.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Irina had given him a thumbs up when he left the faculty office 5 minutes after the kids to meet up with Gakuhou which he only scoffed at, but couldn’t help a warm feeling spread through his chest. Maybe they could work out?</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ren, I think my dad is seeing someone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ren promptly spat out his orange juice, gasping and choking as Gakushuu hit him on the back. “What the fuck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My thoughts exactly.” Gakushuu muttered, his eyes showing untold horrors. They were both sitting in Ren’s bedroom, previously studying before Gakushuu suddenly closed his textbook and through it on the bed. This made Ren look up from his own textbook, sipping his orange juice in question. Not that it stayed in his mouth for long when Gakushuu told him what was plaguing his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What makes you think that?” Ren asked, wiping his mouth and placing his glass on the ground to avoid any more spillages.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As you know, my dad is a very reserved person. He rarely goes anywhere apart  from school, home and occasionally the supermarket. He has two phones, one for business and the other for personal related calls. My dad has not only been going out more, but I once saw him talking to someone on his </span>
  <em>
    <span>personal phone!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OK…? What’s so bad about that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ren, not even </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>on that phone. I’m on the business one labelled as Asano!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ouch, but given who your dad is…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He was smiling.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit, your dad’s seeing someone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu let out an undignified sound, plopping down on Ren’s bed and writhing around, hands on his face. Ren gave him a few sympathetic pats on the back, but was in shock himself. I mean, the principal in a relationship? A </span>
  <em>
    <span>romantic </span>
  </em>
  <span>relationship? Unheard of.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have a good relationship with his own son, so no way can he maintain a relationship with someone who isn’t tied down to him like Gakushuu is (because let’s be honest, the only reason Gakushuu hasn’t left is because the man is his father and legal guardian).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what are you going to do about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu got up, hair sticking up in random places making him look a lot softer than he actually was. Even, dare Ren even think it, cute. “Why, it’s obvious…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to find out who exactly my dad is seeing.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, have you been to his house yet?” Irina asked, fiddling with a pencil on her desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” Tadaomi replied nonchalantly, tapping away before a screech made him lose his train of thought,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me that the only thing you two do is get coffee?” Irina asks, outraged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unacceptable! Where’s the passionate, heartfelt confessions?! The sexual strain?! THe </span>
  <em>
    <span>actual </span>
  </em>
  <span>sex?!” Tadaomi spluttered, face growing pink at Irina’s shamelessness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is none! Jesus Irina, he has a kid for god's sake!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s never stopped me before!” She shrugged. Tadaomi rubbed his temples irritably, already feeling a headache come on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What exactly have you guys talked about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our jobs, what we did after school, a brief conversation on Gakushuu and his wife, poli-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Woah woah, hold on a minute. He’s MARRIED?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Divorced… I think?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this point, Irina was squeezing her arm like a stress ball, letting out an irritated sound. “You don’t even know if he’s married?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Apparently, she walked out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Irina hummed thoughtfully, “Well, it’s better than him still having a wife.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat in grateful silence as Irina began thinking of ways to bring them together before heavy breathing was heard from the outside of the room, making both teachers look over in concern and questioning. A yellow tentacle was seen briefly before disappearing, leaving a gust of wind in its wake. One thing ran through both teacher’s minds at the same time, making them scramble after the yellow teacher,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘The octopus knows!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is kinda shorter than the others, so sorry for that! The next chapter will be out shortly seeing as I've already drafted half of it, so be sure to read that!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you liked this trash!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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